Proudly Presents a turning point in
 the explosive 50th episode of

Shattered Glass, Part Five

    I always thought that there would be something special about the day that you died.  I thought that you would feel different about things… perhaps a chill in the air, or an overwhelming desire to wrap things up into a nice little bow.  I never suspected that the end would come at a time that things seemed to finally be coming together… a time that answers were finally being uncovered.   

The Past

    I come back to this moment in time a lot.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but it’s the beginning of where it all began.  For all intents and purposes, it’s where I ended, and he began…

Rob:  You’re not alone…

    The sound of his voice makes my every hair stand on end.  There’s a part of him that wants to turn around and prove to myself that I’m hearing things.  Just as there’s an equal part of me that wants to believe that what I’m hearing is true. 

Justin:  I’m really losing it, aren’t I?  (I ask myself, looking down for a moment.)  Is this somehow supposed to make me feel better?  I know you’re not really here (I say harshly, beginning to walk away.)

Rob:  I am here Justin.  I promised I’d always be here for you (I hear from behind.)

Justin:  I guess I can’t hold that against you, can I?  It was all just a figment of my imagination, wasn’t it?  The hospital—your waking up.  I imagined it all.

Rob:  You didn’t imagine it.

Justin:  Sure, I didn’t.  Maybe my mother is right… maybe I do need to talk to someone.

Rob:  You’re not ready to let go.

Justin:  Great… now I’m getting advice from a dead person.

    Behind me I can feel a heat beginning to radiate against my body.  Closing my eyes, I feel Rob’s hand rest against my shoulder, as a tear falls from my eye.

Justin:  How did you do that?

Rob:  Because you let me (he says, as I turn to face him.)

    Rob’s silent, watching as my body begins to tremble.  I feel the warmth of Rob’s hand caress my cheek, wiping away my tear.

Justin:  You’re here… you’re really here.

Rob:  I made you a promise Justin that I would always be here for you.

Justin:  But I don’t understand.  I mean, I saw your body.  I watched the bury you (I  say, turning to face the grave.)

Rob:  That’s true, Justin, I am dead.  But what we had… it can’t be separated by death.  I live on in her (he says, pointing to my heart.)  I live in you.

Justin:  That isn’t enough (I spit, stepping away from Rob.)  What am I supposed to do?  Visit a psychic whenever I want to talk to you?  Make midnight trips to the graveyard whenever I want to spend time with you?

Rob:  I know this isn’t what we wanted.

Justin:  It isn’t what we wanted?  Do you know how absurd you sound right now? (I question, turning back to face him.)  You’re dead.  To say this isn’t what we wanted is kind of understanding things, don’t you think?

Rob:  Despite what you may think about everything, I’m at peace.  I want the same for you.

Justin:  Well, I hate to disappoint you, but this whole peace thing… I don’t really see it happening.

Rob:  It will Justin, you just have to give it time.  You’ll find peace… just like you’ll fall in love again.

Justin:  How can you say that to me?  I’ll fall in love again?  Cause it’s just some little thing you know, giving your heart away.  There’s only one problem with that whole scenario.  I’m already in love… with you.  Now do you see why I can’t just get over it?  I can’t just get over it, because I can’t just get over you.

Rob:  What I see is that you’re being just as stubborn as you always are.

Justin:  You’re calling me stubborn? 

Rob:  Am I wrong?

    I manage to crack a smile as we fall into a familiar repertoire.

Justin:  You’re not going to win this argument.

Rob:  Yes I am… I always do.

Justin:  It just isn’t fair.  I’d just gotten you back.  I know that we had our problems, but I also know that we could’ve worked through them, just like we always do.  We were supposed to make up and break up, face hell and high water.

Rob:  You’re making us sound like a soap opera.

Justin:  You know what I mean.

Rob:  I do know (he admits.)  And I know that you’ll find that again, with someone else.  Because you’re an optimist.  You always believe in the end that things are going to work out, and that’s part of why I love you.

Justin:  I love you too (I say, closing my eyes for a moment, opening them to find Rob still before me.)  I just don’t know if I believe anymore in happy endings.

    That was then…

Not Too Long Ago…

Justin:  I remember. 

Rob:  I don’t understand.

Justin:  I remember this… the accident.  I remember how it happened… it wasn’t how you said.  It was like this… on this road, with you.

    I watch as my 4Runner continues to speed down Route 6.  I reach my foot to the brake, but nothing happens.  We continue speeding forward.

Justin:  What’s going on?  Why can’t I stop the car?

Rob:  You could… if you really wanted to.  You don’t really want to stop it though, do you Justin?  This is what you wanted.  You finally got what you wanted.  You could end this now, you know?

Justin:  End it?  What do you mean end it?

Rob:  The hurt… the pain… everything you’ve been feeling over the last few weeks since I died.

    That’s right… he’s dead.  I remember that now. It hits me all at once, as if it were something that I should have known all along, but somehow was incapable of realizing. Still, even with this realization, I realize that something is not right.  Rob isn’t right.

Justin:  Who are you?

Rob:  You know who I am.

    Suddenly everything changes.  Where once there was Rob, I find only myself staring back at me.  Of course it was him.  He’s been here all along.  I’ve just been too foolish to realize it. 

Justin:  What do you want from me?

I want to live…

    I don’t understand what he means.  I don’t even have time to react to what he is saying, before he grabs for the steering wheel, taking control of the car from me.  We instantly begin to spin out of control, as my entire life flashes before me eyes.  I think of Rob… and with that thought, everything goes black.

    The unspoken truth about dying, is that often times, like much everything else in life, it come without much fanfare or warning.  In fact, the day I died began much like any other day.  I woke up, going about my normal everyday life, making plans, not suspecting in the least that this day, this hour, this very minute… all of it was leading up to my very last.

The Present?

        My scream wakes me from my nightmare.  It all seemed so real.  Looking around, I find myself asleep, in bed.  A bed, that though seems quite familiar, just doesn’t seem right.

Jacob:  Hey babe, what’s wrong?  You just screamed.

Justin:  Jacob?

Jacob:  Yeah… why are you looking at me like that?

Justin:  What are you doing here?

Jacob:  Um, I live here (he says, turning on the lamp next to the bed.)

    Looking around, I see myself surrounded by Jacob’s bedroom.  How did I get here?  What was I doing here?  And even more importantly…

Justin:  Where is Rob?

Jacob:  Rob?  Justin, Rob is dead… just like you!

Justin:  What did you say to me?

He said that Rob is dead… and you will be too if you don’t make a decision… and quick…

The Present

    The sound is deafening. 

Gayle:  Doctor… you’ve got to help my son (she screams, as the man tries to remain focused.)

Vanessa:  Gayle… the doctors are doing everything they can for Justin right now.

Justin:  Is that me?  (I ask, watching as the doctors hook the seemingly lifeless body up to machine after machine.)

This won’t last forever you know.

Justin:  What do you mean?

This clinging on to life and death thing you’ve got going on here.  Sooner or later, you’re going to have to make a decision… or it will be made for you.

Justin:  It’s not that easy.

Sure it is.  Just close your eyes and picture what you want… Jacob or Rob.  Really Justin… it is that easy.  It’s as easy as closing your eyes…

    I watch my mother, as she turns away from the sight before her.  As she steps back, I get my first clear look at the body… it has a face.  I walk closer to him, inexplicably drawn to him.  I look down to his face… his face that is my own…  I seem at peace, I think to myself, before being ripped away once more.

Justin… Justin…

The Not Too Distant Future…

Rob:  Justin, wake up.

    I scream again as I feel myself rise from my slumber.  Looking around, I find myself at Rob’s.  Looking next to me, I see him beside me.

Justin:  Rob, you’re here.

Rob:  Of course I’m here.  I just went to take a shower and you must have dozed off.

Justin:  I was asleep? 

Rob:  Yeah... from the sound of things, I think you were having a nightmare.

Justin:  God… it all seemed so real though (I say, sitting up in the bed.  Rob wraps his arms around me in an attempt to comfort me.)

Rob:  Was it about the accident?

Justin:  The accident… and so much more.  You weren’t here, and…

Rob:  Well see… there you go.  Obviously it is completely just a bad dream, because as you can see… I am right here.  And I’m certainly not going anywhere anytime soon.  You sir, are unfortunately just stuck with me!

    I listen to his words, and try to take comfort in them.  Still, my dream won’t let me rest.  I simply can’t rest until I know what it means… until I know the truth about why I’m really here.
 
    I never would have thought that my last day on earth would amount to be one of the most beautiful, as well as one of the most heartbreaking days of my life.  But then again, this is my life we’re talking about… and if there’s anything I’ve learned in my time on this earth, it’s that usually whenever things start to get really good, when there’s little more in life you could ever ask for, that’s usually when fate is about to sucker punch you in the gut and rip it all away.  My name’s Justin Scott… and this is my last day on earth.

Continue to Act Two